


An Officer and a Gentleman

by Commander Smith (doctor_b1993)



Category: JAG, NCIS
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-08
Updated: 2014-01-08
Packaged: 2018-01-08 00:29:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1126210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctor_b1993/pseuds/Commander%20Smith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Harm wasn't as unlucky in love as <em>JAG</em> portrayed him?</p><p>Lieutenant Harmon M. Rabb Junior of the United States Navy is shot down over Bosnia during Operation Deny Flight. With his RIO killed when his ejection seat failed, Rabb spends three nights alone in the Bosnian forest before he is rescued by Anthony DiNozzo and flown back to Aviano Air Base. Treated en route by Anglo-American squadron flight surgeon by the name of Lieutenant Commander (Doctor) Katie O'Sullivan. As he recovers, he develops an attraction for his carer, but soon enough it is time for him to return to his unit and life goes on. When Harm encounters Katie again by chance back Stateside, romance blooms between them and Harm may just get a chance at a family...</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Officer and a Gentleman

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Eye of the Hawk](https://archiveofourown.org/works/623037) by [Commander Smith (doctor_b1993)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctor_b1993/pseuds/Commander%20Smith). 



> Caution:

> 
> This story deals with combat situations and so coarse language will ensue. Likewise, combat and mature situations will be explored, thus this story is rated M.
> 
> Please Note:

> 
> This story will also deal with characters from JAG and NCIS from before they were introduced to us in the television series, thus their characterisation is not identical to that in the show, nor is their backstory (to allow for the alternate universe nature of this fiction).

**USS _Seahawk_ -  _Enterprise_ class Aircraft Carrier, Nuclear Powered**  
 **Operation Deny Flight - Somewhere off the coast of the Former SFR Yugoslavia**  
 **0215 Hours Zulu**

Lieutenant Harmon "Hammer" Rabb Junior, a naval aviator flying F-14 Tomcats with Fighter Squadron 114 (the  _Blazers_ ), logged off of his program on the computer he shared with his roomate, Lieutenant Charles "Chuck" Baker, and turned to look disgustedly at his Radar Intercept Officer, Lieutenant Commander Greg "Zapper" Mace. "I can't believe you would even ask that, Zap!" he said accusingly. Feeling disturbed by his backseater, he pushed past the older man and headed for the "dirty-shirt" wardroom with Zapper following in his wake.

"Oh come on, Hammer! You owe me!" Zapper said, chasing his friend through the ship.

"I don't owe you shit!" Harm replied angrily, turning back towards Zapper before storming off again.

"What about that Admiral's daughter?" Zapper reminded his friend of a past misadventure.

"I think you will find that I paid you back for that. You remember that little thing about a rumble with Rock?" Harm shot back as he stepped into the wardroom, reminding his backseater of the time that he had stepped in to the boxing ring with the  _Seahawk_ 's enlisted boxing champion, Machinist's Mate Nuclear First Class Wilson "Rock" Stone.

Zapper shook his head. "If we're going to talk about favours, maybe we should start talking about the fact that I know some things that could see you out on your arse," he hissed.

"What do you mean by that, Zapper?" Harm asked incredulously as he collected a cup of coffee in the officer's wardroom. "I am not cleaning up your shit again!"

"Don't be so sure about that, Hammer. You may be the pilot, but just remember RHIP," Zapper replied as he too picked up a steaming mug, gesturing to the golden embroidered oak leaves on the shoulders of his flight suit.

"Rank Has It's Privileges? You're pulling rank on me?" Harm asked, almost angrily. "You didn't have to go and bang that girl," he continued, lowering his voice.

Zapper just leaned back in his seat with a cocky look on his face, sipping his drink. "Well it got us the intel we wanted didn't it?"

"We wanted?" Harm hissed. "I was perfectly content to wait until our CO came and told us what was going on with the Serbs, but you couldn't wait. You just had to go and shack up with an enlisted Intelligence Specialist didn't you?"

"I couldn't help it! She was hot and more than willing," Zapper shot back, not in the least bit chastised.

"And just what are you going to do if the CO finds out about this?" Harm asked.

"He's not going to," Zapper replied confidently. "Look all I need you to do is go down to CIC and talk to the girl and explain everything."

"I am not going down to CIC and explaining to a girl that her having sex with you was just a one time thing. That you used her," Harm hissed angrily again. "I'm sorry, Zap, but I'm pretty sure to hell and back doesn't cover helping your partner break a girl's heart. I've got a mind to go and report this to the CAG."

"You won't," Zapper told him while inspecting his nails.

"You're damn right I won't. But I should!" Harm whispered viciously. "Why are we even arguing about this?"

Any further argument between the two aircrew was cut short by the commander of the Blazers, Commander Jonathon D. Fairbanks III, callsign Mustang (because he was once an enlisted man), sticking his head into the wardroom and calling out to them. "Rabb! Mace! Get your sixes into gear! You've got a briefing in twenty five minutes. It's another CAP and I'm tagging you boys in. Saddle up!"

"Aye, sir!" Harm and Zapper replied before they chugged the last dregs of their coffees and followed their CO out of the wardroom.

* * *

After the briefing had finished, Harm, Zapper, Mustang and his RIO, Lieutenant (junior grade) Justin "Nuzzo" Arnoldi, left the ready room and walked along the corridor to the squadron's equipment room, where all there flight gear was stowed when not on a mission. Finally, with forty-five minutes remaining until launch, the two aircrews made their way up onto the flight deck and started the process of final checks, completing walk arounds of the planes and climbing on board to check the instruments and control surfaces.

Finally though, it was time for launch and the planes were taxied to the catapults. While the flight deck crew hooked up his Tomcat to the Number 4 catapult, Harm looked back in the mirror to his RIO and, putting aside his anger and frustration, spoke to him through the internal comms, "Are you with me, Zap?"

"To hell and back, Hammer, to hell and back. Just like always," Zapper assured him. As the senior officer in the cockpit, Zapper was the one who made first contact with the tower, something that Harm was happy to allow. Harm and Zapper had been flying together since he first joined the  _Seahawk_  and up in the air there was no one he trusted more. They were brothers.

Shortly afterwards, Harm received the signal to advance his throttle to full power as the final few seconds to launch ticked by. Harm completed final checks on his instruments and wiped out all control surfaces until he was satisfied that all was in readiness and he saluted the Catapult Officer. After a few more final checks by the crew on the flight deck, Harm watched as the Catapult Officer (the 'shooter') knelt down and pointed forward, giving the signal to the catapult operator to launch the 'bird'. Just moments later, Harm and Zapper were forced back into their seats as their Tomcat was accelerated from 0 to 150 knots in just over two seconds.

Looking out the starboard side of their plane as they turned for Bosnia, Harm saw that Mustang's plane had safely left the ship and started his turn around the opposite side of the carrier to rendezvous together.  _"Home Plate, this is Firefighter 1-0-7. Outbound for Bosnia with a flight of two. Over,"_ Harm listened as the radio crackled with Mustang's voice informing the tower that both Harm and himself were on their way.

 _"Roger that, 1-0-7.  Tanker bearing 3-5-0. Over,"_ an air traffic controller on board the  _Seahawk_ replied.

 _"Roger that, Home Plate. 1-0-7, moving out!"_  With that, the two Tomcats roared away from the carrier on a direct bearing for the KA-6D tanker which would ensure they were fuelled up and ready for anything when they reached the no-fly zone.

**Firefighter Flight - Fighter Squadron 114**  
 **Operation Deny Flight - Somewhere in the skies over the Former SFR Yugoslavia**  
 **0535 Hours Zulu**

The sky above Bosnia was filled with the roar of two jet engines as they raced across the sky at high speed, passing through as much of the no fly zone in as short a time as possible.  _"Firefighter Flight. This is Overwatch 0-niner-7. We have no-fly violators in the vicinity of Banja Luka. Flight of four F-16s en route from Aviano. Requesting your assistance. Over."_ When Harm first heard the message, he almost thought that it was an elaborate hoax.

Everything became very real for Harm however when he heard Mustang's reply crackle in his ear.  _"Roger, 0-niner-7. This Firefighter 1-0-7. Happy to help out the Air Force. What is the vector? Over."_

 _"Much appreaciated, 1-0-7. We have 10 contacts at 175 nauticals from your position on a bearing of 3-4-5,"_ The radio operator on the Sentry reported.  _"Eagle Flight are approximately ten minutes out. Over."_

 _"Understood, 0-niner-7. Will make contact with Eagle Leader on approach. This is Firefighter Flight en route to Banja Luka, flight of two. Out,"_ Mustang radioed the Sentry before switching his call to his wingman.  _"Are you ready for this, Harm?"_

"Mustang, my friend," Harm replied, putting on a faux-Tennessee accent. "I was born ready."

Harm broke out into a smile as he heard not a reply, but a chuckle through the radio before the two Navy jets turned to port towards the four Air Force lackeys and the Serbs they were about to knock heads with. At top speed, more than twice the speed of sound, the two Tomcats reached the vicinity of Banja Luka in just under ten minutes and rendezvoused with the flight of F-16 Fighting Falcons led by Major Dillon "Coyote" Wiles. When they arrived, the violators had just completed a bombing run against a factory nearby. 

This made a once difficult situation somewhat easier as Coyote put a call in to the Combined Air Operations Centre at Ramstein Air Base in Germany via the E-3.  _"Eagle 0-1, this is Overwatch 0-niner-7. Ramstein Operations gives clearance to engage. Repeat, you are clear to engage."_

 _"Roger, understood 0-niner-7. All units this is Eagle 0-1. We are cleared to engage. Repeat, we are engaging,"_ Coyote radioed before moving into an attack formation.

Seeing the Falcons and Tomcats moving into attack formations, the Bosnian Serb planes, six J-21 Jastrebs and four J-22 Oraos, turned northwards towards their base at Udbina. Ten minutes after they had received the call, Coyote took the first shot of the engagement, firing an AIM-120 AMRAAM, downing the first J-21 and drawing the other two planes down towards the ground in an effort to use the mountainous terrain to escape. Already anticipating such a move, Harm was already closing to within AIM-9 Sidewinder range.

The moment that he was within range, he was already locking on. "I've got a missile lock," he reported for the record.

"You've got good tone," Zapper reported, signalling that the lock was good.

Harm pushed in the trigger, calling "Fox Two! Fox Two!" as an AIM-9 Sidewinder slid from its rails and fired its rocket engine, racing across the sky towards the second J-21 which exploded in a ball of flame as the missile collided with it and Harm guided his jet safely above the explosion before firing another of the heat-seeking Sidewinder missiles and this time a J-22 was destroyed in a ball of fire.

The rest of the pitched battle passed quickly with Harm and Coyote each taking out a J-21 with a Sidewinder, Mustang finished off a J-21 with an AIM-7 Phoenix and a second Air Force pilot, First Lieutenant Andy "Hotfoot" Franklin finished off a J-22 with an AIM-7 Sparrow. By the time that Franklin had finished off his J-22, the remaining Serb attack jets were close to the Croatian border and the American fighters were forced to break off pursuit, allowing the remaining 2 J-21s and 2 J-22s to land safely at Udbina Air Base.

* * *

Approaching bingo fuel, Harm and Mustang turned back toward the coast and a second rendezvous with the KA-6D to ensure they would have enough fuel to get back to the boat. Near the Serbian town of Livno, a Bosnian Serb Army 2K12 Kub surface-to-air missile battery had laid a trap for American aviators returning to the carrier. Waiting until the two Tomcats were directly overhead, where the aircraft's warning and countermeasures would be at its weakest, they fired two missiles skyward.

"We've got missiles incoming, Hammer. No visual yet," Zapper reported as a missile alarm sounded in the cockpit.

"I can't see 'em," Harm agreed, unable to see anything through the  clouds. The first missile missed the Tomcats, detonating between them, but the second impacted Harm's F-14 causing it to burst into flames and break in two. Mustang was bingo fuel and no choice but to continue on to the tanker, seeing only one chute above the destroyed plane, not knowing whether it was pilot or RIO.

As Harm floated downwards, he looked frantically around the sky below him, searching for a second chute, but there was none to be found. In that moment, Harm felt more alone than he ever had before, hanging below a flimsy piece of silk slowly drifting back to Earth from unfriendly skies to even more unfriendly lands.


End file.
